Evaline Eliza McClure was born in Ogle County,
Illinois on May 24, 1839. She was the daughter of William and
Nancy Hammond (Blair) McClure. She married Milton D. Stover on March 22,
1860. A biographical sketch of the family, written in 1886, follows:
From the "Portrait and
Biographical Album of Ogle County, Illinois": 1886: page 655-656:
 Milton D. Stover,
president of the Board of Trustees of Forreston and one of the firm of Campbell &
Stover, dealers in fine blooded horses, is a native of [Hagerstown] Washington County,
MD., and one of the most progressive citizens of Ogle County, The date of his birth is
July 4, 1837, and he is a son of David and Mary (Hill) Stover. The father was born in
Pennsylvania, Aug. 22, 1793 and the mother Jan. 8, [1799 or 1809...copy too dark to read
for sure] on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The latter is of English ancestry while the
father was of German descent. He died in July, 1851, but the mother survives and makes her
home with her children in Ogle County.
There was born to the parents a family of five daughters
and three sons, Milton D. being the fifth in order of birth. They were both members of the
Dunkard Church, to which the mother is still united. The father was apprenticed to learn
the blacksmith trade, at which he worked until five years previous to his death. Finding
the labor somewhat too heavy he quit it and began farming.
The gentleman of whom we write, having learned his trade
of his father, served an apprenticeship of over three years, and in August, 1856, left it
and came to Ogle County. He landed at Polo on the 1st day of August, 1856, and taking up
his trade worked for Cooper & Powell of that place. After remaining with them for
about two months he went to work by the month on a farm in Pine Creek Township, and
remained with Mr. Wm. Hays four years.
Our subject was united in marriage March 22, 1860 with
Evaline E. McClure [or Eliza Evaline], a native of Adeline Township, Ogle County. Their
nuptials celebrated at Forreston, and the date of her birth was May 24, 1839. She was a
daughter of James [should be William] and Nancy (Blair) McClure, old settlers of Ogle
County. After their marriage they engaged for sometime in the pleasant and quiet vocation of
farming, renting land in the vicinity of Forreston, on which he continued one year. He
then returned to Pine Creek Township and worked one year for his former employer. They
then removed to Polo, where he engaged with W. P. Cooper, with whom he worked two years
his trade, or until July, 1865. He worked at blacksmithing, buying a shop and engaging in
business for himself until Aug. 1, 1884, when he rented the shop and tools to Milford D.
George [later married Angie Forbes, half-sister to Evaline], who had been in his employ of
several years.
Mr. Stover is a a good horseman and has given no little
attention to veterinary work. For ten years previous to renting the shop he owned blooded
horses and sold to other parties for the purpose of improving the breed in the vicinity.
After renting a shop he formed a partnership with John T. Campbell and engaged in dealing
in fine horses. At the time of going into business with Mr. Campbell he owned Success and,
which was purchased of Dunham in 1875. He was a magnificent specimen of the Percheron
Norman stock and some excellent animals have sprung from him. The company has since been
engaged in buying and selling and dealing in the best of stock.
Mr. Stover cast his first vote for our martyred
President, Abraham Lincoln, and has usually cast a straight line of Republican votes for
President. He usually, however, calculates to uphold not party, but principle, and posts
himself as far as possible as to the character of the man for whom he votes. He has held
the office on the Board of Trustees for three terms and has also been a member of the
School Board. He belongs to White Oak Lodge fraternity No. 667, at Forreston, and is also
a member of the Encampment No. 25, at Freeport.
The pleasant family which has sprung up about the hearth,
consists of three children as follows: Clara S., born June 7, 1861; Teene C., born Nov. 7,
1864; and Alverna B., born Aug. 21, 1868. Clara S. espoused Charles E. Griswold at
Forreston, Dec. 18, 1879, and now dwells at Dell Rapids, Dak., at which place she lost her
husband. She opened a millinery establishment and supports herself by that vocation. Teene
C. was married at Dell Rapids May 28, 1885 to Everett Harrington. They still live at that
place, the husband being a furniture dealer, and doing a flourishing business. The other
daughter is single and remains at home.
In 1892 Milton D. Stover was elected Mayor of the town of
Forreston and continued to hold public offices until his death on October 6th, 1902.
He was ill for the last year of his life and his death was caused by cardiac
insufficiency.
Evaline died of pneumonia on February 24th, 1907. Both are
buried in White Oak
Cemetery in Forreston, Illinois.
The following newspaper clippings from the Forreston Herald (1876-1898)
will provide a more personal glimpse of the Stover's daily life:
4/29/1876: An unusually fine
specimen of horse flesh may be found in the Forreston House stable. It is a three-year-old
colt of the Norman Stock, and is the property of Mr. I. B. Allen and M. D. Stover, who
purchased it of M. W. Dunham, of Wayne, DuPage Co. Ill. Mr. Dunham is an extensive
importer of thoroughbred horses. For beauty and muscle combined, this colt has but few, if
any superiors.
8/12/1882: Mr. D. B. Byers has rented Mr.
Stover’s blacksmith shop, and if he does not give as good satisfaction as
"Milt" has done, we miss our guess.
2/3/1883: Mr. M. D. Stover, who has given up his
route as traveling agent for an Ohio Horse-shoe nail company, and now fills his old place
as the "boss horse-shoer" of Ogle county, has been showing his skill in subduing
vicious horses this week. Messrs. Brookmire and Keeler who live northeast of Forreston,
own a Canadian stallion that has been an elephant on their hands for some time. He is a
fine looking, well-bred beast, but has been afflicted with emotional insanity or some
kindred complaint, and exhibited his derangement by an unusual amount of unfriendliness to
his keepers. So unsociable was this brute that he refused to let anybody within reach of
his teeth or his heels. He became so unruly that his water and feed had to handed in on a
hook. As a last resort the owners of this fiery, untamed steed called upon Mr. Stover and
asked him to try his persuasive powers. Mr. S. took the horse in charge, got him out of
his stall and gave him a good training. It took some time to convince the animal that it
was either kill or cure, but as soon as he learned that fact he renounced his wicked ways
and assumed the.......unreadable.
4/7/1883: Miss Teenie Stover departed Sunday
night for Dell Rapids, Dakota, where she expects to spend the summer with her sister, Mrs.
C. E. Griswold.
5/3/1884: Mrs. M. D. Stover left this week for
Nebraska to visit her children. She will return in a few weeks.
6/21/1884: The Exponent, printed at Dell
Rapids, D. T., says: "Miss Teene Stover, sho has been a typo in this office the past
year departs for her home in Forreston, Ill., today, via Sioux City. She will be missed by
her numerous friends.
7/19/1884: Mr. and Mrs. Stover and daughter, Mrs.
Clara Griswold, arrived from Dell Rapids, D. T., this week where Mrs. S. has been visiting
for the past ten weeks. Mrs. Griswold comes with the intention of making this her future
home. Her many friends here will be glad to welcome her.
12/6/1884: Messrs. Campbell and Stover were down
in Marshall and Kane Counties this week looking at some blooded horses.
12/6/1884: Mrs. Clara Griswold and her sister
Miss Teene Stover, are in the ladies furnishing goods business at Dell Rapids, Dakota.
4/11/1885: The Parkersburg Eclipse has the
following complimentary notice of "Young Blaine," Campbell & Stover’s
fine Clydesdale stallion: It is a good sign to see so many fine horses exhibited in this
place, for it indicates a demand for good stock among our farmers and breeders. C.
McFarland brought from Illinois last week as fine a Clyesdale stallion as we have seen in
the State and good judges of horseflesh will agree with us, we think, in pronouncing him
one of the finest horses ever brought to this country.
7/11/1885: Angie Forbes left for Dell Rapids,
Dakota Territory where she will visit Mrs. Teenie Harrington (nee Stover).
9/30/1893: M. D. Stover left Tuesday morning for
the World’s Fair, accompanied by his daughter Mrs. Vernie Stearns, and his niece Miss
Jessie McClure.
10/7/1893: Upon the return of Mrs. Stearns and
Jessie McClure from Chicago, Mrs. M. D. Stover, accompanied by her granddaughter, Ethel
Griswold, went to join her husband in that city.
11/11/1893: Mrs. A. J. Stearns (Verna Stover)
left Wednesday for her home in Walla Walla, Washington after a several months visit with
her parents in this place.
5/19/1894: Mayor M. D. Stover checking out water
works at Shannon and Lanark and going to Springfield as delegate of Board of Health.
12/11/1897: M. D. Stover has a new scheme for
self-sharpening horseshoes.
12/25/1897: Jacob McClure and little child from
Rockford, were the guests of M. D. Stover and family the first of the week.
10/1/1898: Mrs. E. F. Harrington from Sheldon,
Iowa and Mrs. A. J. Stearns of LaGrange, Illinois. are visiting at the home of their
father, M.D. Stover on account of the illness of their sister.
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